Chocolate Chip Cookies ...

I am finally going to share my delicious and perfect recipe for chocolate chip cookies. This is not by any means a secret family recipe my grandmother gave me that was created by Nestley Toulouse, (gotta love Phoebe from FRIENDS!) but one I mastered on my own after trial and error. So please, enjoy!

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

3/4 C. Butter
1/3 C. Shortening (Butter-flavored Crisco)
1 C. white sugar
1 C. light brown sugar, packed
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. Vanilla
2 eggs
1 package of milk chocolate pieces
2 1/2 C. flour
1 cup walnuts, optional (I do not usually put nuts in my cookies)


In a kitchen aid mixing bowl (5+ qts) beat the shortening and butter on medium to high speed for 30 seconds or until creamy. 
      

Add the two kinds of sugars and baking soda. Beat mixture until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in each egg, one at a time, and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. 
Stir in remaining flour. Stir in chocolate pieces and, if desired, nuts. Drop a rounded tablespoon of dough about 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Grease is not needed because the cookies use Crisco in the recipe. I also love air bake pans and they seem to work the best for this recipe.

Bake in a 375 degree F oven 8 or 9 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool. Makes about 48 cookies.

Slow Cooked BBQ Pulled Pork

There is no story with this recipe other than I just wanted to eat some good old fashioned BBQ food.

Slow Cooked BBQ Pulled Pork

INGREDIENTS

2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced 

4 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced 

1 cup chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth 

1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar 

1 tablespoon chili powder 

1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more as needed 

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

1 (4-1/2- to 5-pound) boneless or bone-in pork shoulder (also known as pork butt), 2 cups barbecue sauce (I prefer Stubb's or Famous Dave's brands) 

INSTRUCTIONS

Place the onions and garlic in an even layer in the slow cooker and pour in the stock or broth. Combine the sugar, chili powder, measured salt, cumin, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Pat the pork dry with paper towels. Rub the spice mixture all over the pork and place the meat on top of the onions and garlic. Cover and cook until the pork is fork tender, about 6 to 8 hours on high or 8 to 10 hours on low.

Turn off the slow cooker and remove the pork to a cutting board. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a medium heatproof bowl. Pour the onion mixture from the slow cooker through the strainer and return the solids to the slow cooker. Set the strained liquid aside.

If the pork has a bone, remove and discard it. Using 2 forks, shred the meat into bite-sized pieces, discarding any large pieces of fat. Return the shredded meat to the slow cooker, add the barbecue sauce, if using, and mix to combine. If you’re not using barbecue sauce, use a spoon to skim and discard the fat from the surface of the strained cooking liquid, and then add 1/4 cup of the liquid at a time to the slow cooker until the pork is just moistened. Taste and season with salt as needed.

Serve with my delicious Homemade Dinner Rolls!

Homemade Dinner Rolls

My husband and I were strolling through the supermarket when the idea of Slow Cooked BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches for dinner came to mind. We grabbed the pork and the ingredients needed. As we walked over to the bread aisle, we noticed the price of rolls had increased at our grocery store. It went from 3.99 to 5.29 for 8 rolls. With me going to school and not working as much, groceries have become less affordable. We have doubled the size of our garden, canned more goods, and hunted more for our food so we could afford to enjoy our time at the dinner table and feel like we have earned what eat.
A larger amount of food consumed by our family used to consist of processed foods and unhealthy carbohydrates. Now, my husband and I have lowered our carb intake by 3/4 and cut out many processed foods (with the exception of a few bad habits like fruit snacks and desserts..yum!). We feel healthier and happier. We never keep bread in the house, so buying 8 rolls for $5.29 and only eating 2 or 3, I decided that I would start making my own bread. With the leftover buns that we don't consumer, we can give those to family and  friends and feel even better about ourselves, after all sharing is caring, right?  :)

With that in mind, I opened up my recipe box and pulled out a modified recipe from Better Homes & Gardens "The New Cookbook". I found that with my gas stove, elevation levels, and healthier eating style, the original recipe was not suitable for us.

Here is the new recipe I modified:

You will Need: 

5 C. - all-purpose flour
1 C. - milk1 pks (1/4 oz)  active dry yeast, or 2 1/4 tsp.
1/3 C. - white granulated sugar (do not substitute splenda/stevia)1/3 C. - margarine
1 tsp. - salt2 eggs


Directions: 
In a large metal or glass mixing bowl, stir together only 2 cups of flour and the active dry yeast yeast. Be sure to mix these two together very well before combining the ingredients in the next step. 

In a small saucepan heat and stir milk, sugar, butter, and salt just until warm and butter almost melt (BHG suggests 120-130º F). 
Add the heated mixture to the dry mixture.  Beat the eggs in a small bowl or measuring cup and add the the mixture.  Beat with a mixer on speed setting 2 on a Kitchenaid mixer or with a electric hand mixer on lowest setting for 30 seconds, scraping sides of bowl constantly with a silicone spatula. Once it is mixed well, beat on high speed 3 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as possible, usually about 2 1/2 more cups.
Total flour used: 4 1/2 C. but you're not done yet ;) 

Place dough onto a lightly (1 Tbsp.)  floured surface. Knead in remaining 1/2 cup flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic. Kneading will take roughly 10 minutes to form stiff, shape-able, and non sticky dough.

 Shape the dough into a ball and set into a greased bowl (I use Crisco) and cover With a light flour sack towel; let rise  in a warm place until the ball has nearly doubled in size.

Gently punch the dough, this allows the air and gases to escape the dough in order to let the bread rise and bake well. Divide the dough and let it rise for another 30 minutes.

Shape the dough into desired roll size (I use about the size of a cue ball/pool ball) and place on prepared baking dishes or sheets. Cover and let rise in a warm place until nearly double in size. (30-40 minutes)


Bake in an oven @ 375º F for 12 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove rolls from pans and let cool on wired baking racks. This will make roughly 12 rolls at the size mentioned above. 

Serve your rolls anyway you'd like. Here is the final result of my Slow Cooked BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches. Bon Appetit!

Watermelon Lemonade

I totally just got this new recipe and tweaked it a little. With the 80 degree weather and extra watermelon, I had to try it. It's crisp, cool, and filled with delicious fruits.

The trick to making it just perfect is boiling the simply sugar recipe, don't skip it, just do it. I absolutely love this recipe and you will too! 

Sugar Syrup:
1 cups water
1 cup sugar (for more sugary flavor you can make it 2 cups but I narrowed it down, way too sweet) 

Lemonade:
2 cups water
2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
4 cups ice cubes
2 cups diced watermelon
2 cups diced pineapple 

1 orange, sliced into rounds
1/2 lemon, sliced into rounds
1/2 lime, sliced into rounds

To make sugar syrup: Combine the water and sugar in a medium saucepan. Turn the heat to medium-high and boil for 10 minutes. If you are planning to make the lemonade immediately, place 2 cups of the sugar water in the freezer or fridge). 

To make the lemonade: Mix 2 cups of sugar syrup, water, lemon juice, and lime juice in a big bowl or pitcher. Add the ice cubes, diced watermelon and other fruit. Add the orange, lemon, and lime rounds. Stir well and chill until icy cold. Enjoy! 

First summer project

My first project this year happened today on a party-cloudy 45 deg weather day in Montana. I needed a place to keep all my new tulips, dianthus, grasses, and shrubs. Every year I say, "I am going to plant a flower garden by the side of the house. Every year, I say "but if I do, I will have to build something that will keep the dogs from trampling my garden. Well this year I finally decided it was time. (Maybe that's why my husband bought me an overabundance of flowers...)

It started with an idea to do a raised flower bed. I loved the idea but I had no idea how I could do it and keep the dogs out. Then, I thought about tires, but I thought it'd look tacky (sorry for those who like them, but I have enough junk in our field by our house...) Then, while I was "shopping" for ideas on Pinterest and found cute picket fences and designed a way for me to do it myself. And here's how I started... 

First I pulled out the awesome compound miter saw to cut boards to length and to cut the picket fence points at 45 degree angles. 

Then I pulled out our nail gun and air compressor with 2-inch finish nails. 

 

I used our Wen nail  gun and trusty Husky 100 psi,portable air compressor. These tools have been with me since my days of hanging trim in all our rooms of the house. I love them! I also brought out my angle level (you can use a 2- or 4-foot bar level), a hammer, Gorilla Wood Glue, and wire cutters. I also got my spade shovel and hand auger for digger hold for each post. 

Once I had all my tools out, it was time to get the wood I would use. You can use 1x1s, 1x2s, 1x4s, and 1x6 of any wood type. For this project, I used the 1"x6"x6' (thickness, width, length) natural pine boards we had from when we were going to build a piracy fence. I also used 4- 4"x4"6' posts. 

I used 19 boards: 14 boards for the pickets and 5 for the braces behind. The length of my fence was 

 27-1/3'. You will have to customize your list for your size of garden. 

Cut list:

56-18" 1x6s

4-60" 1x6s 

2-46" 1x6s

7- 20" 4x4 posts

Cut each of the 56 1x6s so they have a picket point like this:

 

You can angle the miter saw to cut 45 degree angles. Measure the halfway center point at the end of each board and mark it with a dot. Then cut at an angle so each side meets the center top of the board. 

Once you've cut all these, it's time to put your posts in the ground. I measured my holes to fit my garden. The first post hole to dig is in the corner. Each hole is approx. 4-5" deep, but each post must be dug equally to line up with the last post. I measured 46" to the corner by sidewalk and dug the next hole' the next four holes are 60" apart and then 46" to the last corner post, like this: 

Each measurement will match the lengths of you 1x6s (in my case, 2-46" & 4-60"). Once all the posts are dug and secured into the ground using the hand auger and spade shovel, it's time to hang the 6 pre-cut 1x6s for your picket braces. Be sure to level out the braces before nailing them to the post. 

Using 3 nails per post, nail the ends of the boards to each post so that each board is nailed at the center of the 4x4 post (2").  

Once all your boards are up, the easiest part comes next. Nailing your picket fence boards up on the braces. This is the fun part and most simple. Start on one end, and work your way to the end. Where the brace buts up to the back of the picket board, place a long line of wood glue. place the board on the brace, leaving about a 1/2" space to the ground.  

 Continue to do just this all the way around. 

You'll get a finished product, like this: 

If you want you can stain, seal, or paint your fence. I haven't decided what I'd like to do. That's for tomorrow! Stay tuned for more summer projects. Next, I'll be posting my famous rustic pallet jewelry cabinet. Enjoy!!!

My kitchen

I have been enjoying my kitchen this year. It Has definitely been fun. The first dish I cooked last night was a squash casserole with onion, garlic, summer and zucchini squash, tomatoes, olive oil, fresh rosemary & thyme, 1/2 cup of parmasean and cheddar cheeses.  Delicious. The only thing I will do differntly next time is let the dish marinate overnight for more flavor. 

The second dish I made was my husband's gramma's "Hot Dish Casserole". Another great recipe with ground beef, cream of mushroom and chicken soups, chow mien and celery. It was deiffernt than our normal routine, but very delicious. 

For my husband's 32nd birthday, I bought him a pressure canner. He has been wanting for years and I finally bit the bullet and purchased one. We are going to can everything we can this year to save on money. We need to buckle down on our budget and I have found the perfect ways to do it. I am very excited to make jams, sauces, soups and other foods from staple items. Pinterest has helped me out a lot with learning the basics and I'm eager to start. 

Change. (continued)

This quote goes along with my previous blog. However, it's words are so inspirational, it needs it's own post. Enjoy!

Change. (Edited 1.2.2014)

It is very hard to grasp the concept of change, especially a change like a new year. The change is so slow, so gradual, that we do not notice it. It's our job to embrace it, welcome it, and make the best out of it. Change is something that I am excited to embrace this year. 

It will be my last year of school. I student teach spring of 2015 and will graduate in May. Time flew by so fast. People say "times flies" all the time. I don't notice the time until it is already gone. 

Like today, for example. I have spent the last month prepping for my speech and drama meet I am hosting on Saturday. First time hosting a meet, ever. I am nervous. I spent all day worrying about Saturday that by the time it came to take everything to the school to prep, I had already wasted two-thirds of the day. 

Time is precious and I feel like I am not getting things accomplished when I should. This is where embracing change comes in. Although I have not announced it yet, I believe I am done coaching speech and drama. I have been doing it for 6 years. I love it because it keeps me busy and it is great for the kids. However, I may not be at this school in 2015 and I am so busy trying to earn my degree that I am not spending quality time at home with family or with friends. What are friends? I never see mine anymore and I am starting to feel like I have none left. Sometimes I wonder if my husband will be home when I get there. I have way too much on my plate that I am not focusing on my passions or my people. I need my people. 

The only thing holding me back from this change is the kids. One: it's a great program. Two: my kids will all mostly be seniors. Quit? On their last year? Does this make me a Bad coach or a bad person? Three: I recieve comments all the time from community members. "Keep up the good work".  "You're great with kids". And "without you there wouldn't be a program." Inspiring. Worth it. But what about embracing change? What about it? The answer isn't time management because I've tried this and not everyone benefits from it and, most importantly, I don't benefit from it. 

The last thing I have to say is change is important to embrace because people spend so much time in the constant that they forget to look at the view around them. They forget about diversity. Thy forget about choice. They forget about each other. People spend so much time in the fast lane they forget to just sit back an look at the view. 

I want to make a positive change in my life to understand myself, be kinder, be passionate, be active, and just hang out with the people I love. 

~embrace change~

 & look at the view